Back in 2009, Drew Barrymore took a genuine interest in the plight of young people in Kenya who lack not only proper education, but also clean water to drink. It was then that she developed the Drew Barrymore Education Foundation and has since been doing all she can to help the kids get the tools they need for a better future.

In the time that the foundation was created, Drew has been able to have a borehole installed in one Kenyan village that would provide fresh clean water for an entire village. With the water outlet in place, time was now available to children to attend school, when previously they would be spending hours a day traveling miles to get water for their families and livestock. As the local school in the village saw more children in attendance, Drew reflect back on her own life and how it impacted her decision to help these kids:

“I never went to school myself,” she said. “I was doing a job and didn’t live a kid’s life. I wanted to learn more about why [these kids in Kenya] were so passionate, walking so far and overfilling their classrooms … I know that life can be so absolutely, incredibly difficult,” she says. “I want to explore and become more socially aware.”

We wish more people had that kind of attitude. Perhaps more would be done to help these kids and their families.